Soldier&#39;s protector.



A. VVHUDZIAKl SOLD|ER'S PROTECTOR. APPLlCATION HLED MAR. 22. i918.

Patented J Illy 23, 1918.

attain,

Vsiding at Frontier,

tain new. and

ALBERT Hunzrax, or FRONTIER, WYOMING.

SOLDIERS PRO'TECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Application filed March 22, 1,918. Serial N o. 223,944.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT-HUDzIAK,`a citizen of the United States of America, re-

in the county of incoln and State of Wyoming, have invente ceruseful Improvements in S01- diers `Protectors, of which the following is a specilication. l v

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a bullet protector arranged to be conveniently carried by a soldier to be set up for use inholding oli bullets while ring upon the enemy.

A further object of the device is the provision of a foldable shield adapted for making bullets glance off from the same when 'set up for use, the structure being arranged for positioning upon the ground in the form of a barrier to accommodate a soldier positioned behind the same for ring through the barrier forwardly thereof.

, With these eneral objects in view and others that wil? appear as the nature of the `invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyin -drawing and pointed out' in the appende claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which llke numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;-

Figure 1 is 'a rear perspective view of the device inits spreadout arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view through one of the retaining clips; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken upon line 1 -4 of Fig. 3. j

It being understood that the device is in the nature of a bullet shield, the same consists of-two arcuate plates 10 and 11 formed of bullet-proof material and being of equal size, the said plates bein connected b hinges 1.2 and 13 at ,their a jacent ends. strap 14 connects the two plates 10 and 11 together limiting their outward movement upon the said hinges 12 and 13 and whereby the device may be positioned in V-shaped arrangement as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing having a pointed end or nose 15. The device may be readll Carried upon the back of a soldler with the strap 14 positioned around his neck while a retaining belt 16 is carried by the section 11 having an engaging buckle 17 upon the section l0 for convenience .in securing the device upon the soldier for carrying the same from place to place. i

When it is desired to use the device as a shield, the same is positioned upri ht on the ground and long hooks 18 carrie by each of the plates 10 and 11 are released from securing" clips 19 upon the said plates and are swung into engagement with oppositely positione eyes 2 0 carried by the said lates for this purpose. A pentagonal opening or loophole 21 is arranged in the nose 15 of the device for convenience in firing therethrough upon the enemy positioned forwardly of the device. B releasing thehooks 18 and-drawing the p wardly toward each other' the area of the opening'21- will be diminished or in other Y words, the drawing toward each other of the opposite three-sided Walls 22 of the opening 21 presents a smaller opening through which the bullets of the enemy can pass. The size of the opening 21 is regulated in this manner by the soldier having charge of the shielding device, the opening 21 being the largest when the plates 10 and llpare outstretched to the limit of their relative movement. It will be understood that the sides 22 of the opening 2l are in the form of cutout portions in the adjacent edges of the plates 10 and 11 so that the hinges l2 and 13 are positioned upon opposite sides of the opening, above and low the same.

The device may be constructed of metal that is light in weight and the shields may be transported in trucks to a convenient point requiring them to be carried only short distances by the soldiers, and being readily l set up for use and adjusted the same are adapted for preventing loss of life while permitting the soldiers to readily fire upon the enemy.

What I claim as new is 1. A bullet shield comprising a pair of rectangular plates arcuate in horizontal section and having cut-away portions in their adjacent vertical edges 'forming a firing opening in the device, said plates being positioned in substantially V-shaped arrangement when operatively positioned, hinge connections between the adjacent vertical edges of the plates arranged at opposite sides of the opening, the sides of said opening being adjustable by swinging the plates upon said hinge connections whereby the ates 10 and l1 in- -plates tolimit the area of the opening is varied, a pair of carrying stra-ps connected between said plates to limit separation thereof, positioning hooks I arranged between said plates, and means to retain the hooks in substantially vertical inoperative position. l Y 2. In combination, two rectangular plates` arcuate in horizontal section and adapted to be positioned in substantially V-shaped ar' rangement when in use, spaced hinge connections between the adjacent'vertical edges of-said plates, said plates having a firing opening therein between said hinged connections, positioning hooks swingingly carried by theplates adjacent their free ends, keepers for said hooks, spring clips carried by theplates to receive and retain said hooks in substantially vertical position when not in use, and flexible carrying means for theV separation of the latter.

3. A bullet shieldincluding a pair of rectangular plates arcuate in horizontal section and ingedly connected at their adjacent plate.

vertical edges, said plates being adapted forA arrangement in substantially V-shaped formation when in use and having a firing opening thereof, a hook member hinged tovone of said plates at the upper outer corner thereof, a second hook member hinged to the lower outer corner of the other plate, a keeper carried by the irst named pl ate at the lower outer corner thereof and engageable by the second named hook member when the plates are inoperative position, a second keeper carried by vthe second named plate at the upper outer corner thereof and engageable by the irst, named hook member when the plates are in operative position, and a clip carried by each of said plates between the outer corners thereof to retain the hook member hinged thereto in substantially vertical position adjacent the inner face of said In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

, ALBERT HUDZIAK.

therethrough at the connectededges 

